7-6-2010 Maine Day 3

Breakfast at the B&B, a treat – eggs, French toast (not gooey, crusted – good), fruit, sausage and coffee. A very good breakfast that stuck with us for a long time. We drove out of town heading around the East part of the island, going to Northeast Harbor. A light overcast again. Our hostess had told us the cruise to one of the Cranberry Islands was good – cheap, with a park ranger, interesting. It left at 10 and we got there about 9:15. The boat went by the Bear Island Lighthouse (one more!). We also went by the Rockefeller home where the moving force behind turning Desert Island into a getaway destination for the rich and famous. The boat then went out to some low rocks where harbor seals and grey seals were lying. We got to Little Cranberry Island, where we stayed and walked around for 45 min. I got to use the sweatshirt I bought last night, as it was chilly on the water. I got a stamp at the little ranger station museum there. We walked down “Main Street” – a gravel road twisting through the houses – and got some gingerbread at the post office/store. Get away from the water and it warms up quickly. Pretty sunny now – from what we hear it is very unusual weather to have this many good days in a row. Last week it was so foggy one couldn’t see 10 feet off the boat. Back on the boat we went part way down Somes Sound and then back to the port. Got back at about 12:30. A 2-3 year old boy was sitting next to me and he hollered the whole way out and back and got quiet as soon as the engines were turned off – did not like the sound.

We got some sandwiches for lunch and headed for the flying Mtn walk we had read about and our hostess recommended. Found it and walked to the overlook, over Somes Sound. Now it was a blue skies, bright sun and I discovered my legs were burnt. The walk up to the top was steep but short. We ate lunch overlooking the water and the huge mansions on the other side, with acres of lawn. Walked down through a forest – we got in our forest walk – and back to the car as it seemed to get ready to rain. Drove along to the Giley Museum in Southwest Harbor. The bird cravings were nice but after seeing the Salisbury decoy museum works, one is spoiled. thus, no pictures. While there the skies opened for a deluge – good timing. Off for Bass Harbor Light House. Got our obligatory pictures of our third lighthouse.

We then drove to Bernard for dinner at a lobster pound place our hostess recommended. The place was just plastic tables and lots of lobster, on a pier in a harbor full of lobster boats - the real thing! More whole lobster was beyond both of us so we had a Crab Louie spread with crackers and a Lobster Roll (chunks of lobster meat in a rolled toasted soft piece of bread). Super cheap lobster - $10.50/# for small lobsters, $12/# for Jumbo. And desert of course – Sue had blueberry pie that was real blueberry pie – not that super sweet goo one usually gets – and I had blueberry ice cream. Sue drove back to Bar Harbor (I did the driving today and most of yesterday). We walked downtown, got some coffee and a fridge magnet, watched the sunset on the Harbor, looked at some of the huge old homes along the water, and then back to the B&B. Lights off by 9pm since the room gets light at 4:30, we found this morning.

7-5-2010 Maine Day 2

Breakfast at Hotel and off to Bar Harbor. The countryside was more open – very rural. You could tell by some of the places along the road you were headed to a vacation destination – kids amusement parks, pee wee golf, water parks, but it was not too heavily commercialized – not like Myrtle Beach. We noticed a steady stream of cars headed the opposite direction. Picked up lunch and fruit and drinks in Ellsworth – got a card for the local grocery chain and saved $11! We first went to the visitor center, got oriented and our pass. We decided to drive the loop Road this first day and we first went to Cadillac Mountain, the highest in the park. The visitor Center flick said it was the place that first got sunlight on some days of the year???? We could see all around the Northern part of Desert Island and the haze was not too bad. The weather was slight overcast and not too hot, so it was a good day for this. Called Tim from the top of the Mountain – I was reminded of our trip to Philmont and the memory-planting session at the top of one of the hills on the first day. Long time ago but still there in my mind.

We then drove to Sand Beach, stopping along the way to poke around various places. We could see the Egg Rock lighthouse in the harbor from the road. (Chalk up another lighthouse!) Sand Beach parking was jammed – the crowds in the park are not too bad – the Visitor Center was pretty packed but traffic is light and most stops were not crowded at all. We ate lunch by the Ocean, at Otter cliffs next to a trail between Thunder Hole and Seal Cove. Very nice – the air was very fresh, full of sea-smell and the scenery was gorgeous. Nice Day.

We finished the drive with a nature trail walk by Jordan Pond, saw huge tadpoles in a stream, a diving Loon (under the water for 30 seconds or so, and more great Mountain views with reflecting calm water).

Back to Bar Harbor (Ba Haba) to check in at B&B – nice room, simple but comfortable. On advice of the lady running it, walked down to a restaurant downtown and ordered Lobster – got soft shell for $16 a piece – early bird special. I still found the green goo inside disgusting but the other parts were pretty good. Dessert was apple-blueberry cobbler with blueberry ice cream – when in Maine … After dinner we poked around the downtown shops – it got pretty cold so I bought a Maine sweatshirt and Sue wore it. Sue had remembered to bring a fleece – not I. Went into a naturalist store and got a set of CDs of bird calls – I had been thinking of doing that since we had isolated the Cardinal’s call on one of our recent walks around Alexandria. And it’s vacation. Wound up at the village green where the community band was warming up for an 8pm concert. Waiting, we went into a beer brewing store and I got three bottles of local brew. Listened

to a bit of the concert – they weren’t all that good, but enthusiastic – and then walked around some side streets – lots of B&Bs and old ones to boot. This has been a vacation spot for well over 100 years. On the way back to the hotel we came across an old Episcopal Church with Tiffany windows – just like Staunton, VA. It was closed – have to go back. The Church is named for an original Jesuit colony on one of the small islands.

7-4-2010 Maine Day 1

Left the house for BWI at about 7:15 - the weather was warm, not too muggy. Got to BWI by 8 and were sitting at the AirTran gate by 8:30 - 2 hours to flight. Flight went fine. Portland airport is really small. We drove to Freeport to visit the complex of LL Bean stores. There was an outlet but the only thing we got was a crank up flash light. Poked around some other stores - lots of outdoor clothing and gear places.

Watched the local Fourth of July parade at 4 pm. It was a real small town(s) parade - lots of fire trucks from Freeport and surrounding villages. Then off to Bangor. More of the "driving in a green tunnel" effect we saw when we drove down to the southeast coast. Sue commented on how dense the forest is just off the road. Stayed at a Hampton, ate dinner by the River (Penobscot) at a fish place. Afterwards we sat by the river and waited for the fireworks to start. We started waiting at 8:30 and finally at 9:30 they started going off - and we couldn't see them! They were behind a set of trees. Not hard to find a better place but lots of people. Show lasted only about 15 min and the ride back to the Hotel took about an hour - big traffic jam. Watched the Washington DC fireworks on TV when we got back - that show must have gone on for over 30 min. Lots of people and it didn't get over until about 11:15 or later. That would have been pretty hard though it was an impressive show.

7-3-2010 Too much heat

Sue and I had planned to go to the Fourth of July rehearsal sessions downtown on the west steps of the Capitol. But as the time to leave got closer, at 4 pm, we looked at each other, imagined sitting in the sun for several hours on the lawn in front of the Capitol building, and said "Naahhhh". So we didn't go. We packed for our trip to Maine tomorrow - it was a better use of the time.

7-2-2010 Folklore Festival on the Mall

After work, or almost after work, Sue came downtown and brought me a change of clothes. We were going to go to the Smithsonian folklore festival on the Mall, which was concluding this weekend. It was way too hot to do it in work clothes. We walked over and there was quite a crowd. It was mainly food and shows and exhibits. We watched a group of Central American Indians climb a pole and then hang by ropes from the top as they spiraled around the pole, with the rope slowly unwinding. We ate some Indian food, some Hispanic food, some Asian food.

We then wandered up by the Capitol, stopped to listen into a free rock concert in front of the American Indian Museum and then walked up to the Capitol steps, to see the preparation for the Fourth of July celebrations. We watched a group of the Army Brass band practice and then headed for the Metro and home. It is still very very hot.

6-29-10 The Weather Breaks

The miserable weather of the last few weeks has broken. It is beautiful again. The sky is blue, the mornings cool and crisp, even at 5 or 6 in the afternoon the humidity is not bad. Thank heavens! We can walk after dinner again and we have started to go on morning walks rather than the go to the gym.

6-26-10 A Hot Hot Day

The weather has been very hot and humid. I was out of town last week on a trip to LA and Abq but Sue suffered through the heat. Even the week before was miserable. Stepping out the front door is like walking into a sauna.

We went down to the Corcoran today since it was a free pass day. We wanted to see the Eadweard Muybridge exhibit before it closed. After we got done, we went over to the Safeway BBQ festival, paid our $20 to get in and then proceeded to get very hot and very tired of the crowds. Getting one's money's worth hinged on getting into the free sample tent - but the line was so long and it was so hot, we blew it off. We did buy some food while there. So we learned our lesson about big public events in downtown DC when the weather is hot and humid. I have a picture but rather than put it here, just visualize lots and lots of hot sweaty people, lots of smoke, lots of sun, lots of cement and asphalt, and you'll "get the picture".